576 HORTICULTURE, FORESTRY, FLORICULTURE 



Kentucky, of which Lexington is the center. About 600 acres are 

 grown each year near Lincoln, Nebr., and an area of about the same 

 size in the lower Sacramento Valley in California. During the past 

 two years hemp has been grown successfully at Kouts and North 

 Liberty, Ind., and at Hanover, Pa. It has also been grown experi- 

 mentally in Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, and Arkansas. 



Climate. Hemp requires about 110 days for its growth. It 

 should have a rainfall of at least 10 inches during this period. It 

 has not been grown commercially under irrigation. If the level of 

 free water in the soil is within 5 to 10 feet from the surface, as is 

 often the case in alluvial river-bottom lands, and the character of 

 the soil is such that there is good capillary action to bring the water 

 up, hemp will not suffer from drought, even should there be very 

 little rainfall. Hemp is uninjured by light frosts. It may therefore 

 be sown earlier than oats and harvested later than corn. 



Soil. Hemp requires for its best development a rich, alluvial, 

 or loamy soil not subject to severe drought, yet not of a swampy con- 

 dition. It is not to be recommended for a light sandy soil, unless it 

 follows a crop of clover or beans which has left a plentiful supply of 

 nitrogenous fertilizer. The soil should also be well supplied with 

 lime. Hemp will not grow well in an acid soil or on gumbo soils. 

 Excellent crops have been obtained in Indiana on peaty soils over 

 marl. 



The best fertilizer for the hemp crop is barnyard manure, and 

 this should be applied to the previous crop or, at the latest, in the fall 

 before sowing the hemp. Hemp may be introduced in any crop 

 rotation, but it is best to have it follow peas, beans, or clover. It 

 may follow corn or grain, providing these crops are well fertilized. 

 A dense growth of hemp destroys nearly all weeds, and as it is a 

 rather deep rooting plant and shades the soil it leaves the land in 

 excellent condition for any crop which may follow. 



Sowing. Hemp seed should be sown at the rate of approxi- 

 mately 1 bushel per acre at about the time of sowing oats or as early 

 as possible after the period of severe frosts. If possible the land 

 should be plowed during the previous fall. Fall plowing is essen- 

 tial for success if a heavy sod or much vegetation is to be turned 

 under. The soil should be harrowed at least once before seeding in 

 order to settle the furrows. 



The seed is sown broadcast by hand or by any good broadcast 

 seeder set for seeds smaller than average grains of w r heat. Good 

 results are obtained with an end-gate seeder, a roller-press grain drill, 

 or an ordinary toothed grain drill with the teeth removed and re- 

 placed by a board dragging on the ground below the feeding tubes. 

 The seed falling on this board will be spread out evenly over the sur- 

 face. The ordinary teeth cover the seed too deeply and crowd them 

 in drills from 6 to 8 inches apart, so that the hemp does not grow 

 as evenly as when it is spread over the entire surface. The seed may 

 be covered by means of a light straight-toothed harrow. Drills sim- 

 ilar to grain drills are made especially for sowing hemp seed and 

 are largely used in Kentucky. These hemp-seed drills will be found 



